LONDON : Manchester City took another decisive step toward an unprecedented fourth successive Premier League title with a 4-0 demolition of Fulham on Saturday that lifted them two points clear of Arsenal on top of the table with one week remaining.
Burnley were relegated to the Championship after a 2-1 defeat at Tottenham Hotspur while Luton Town move closer to joining them after their 3-1 loss at West Ham United.
Brentford scored four minutes into added time to secure a 2-1 win at Bournemouth, Newcastle United took a step closer to a European berth following a 1-1 draw with Brighton & Hove Albion, Crystal Palace won 3-1 at Wolverhampton, and Everton beat relegated Sheffield United 1-0.
Josko Gvardiol struck twice while Phil Foden and Julian Alvarez had a goal apiece in City’s seventh consecutive league win.
Pep Guardiola’s men have 85 points from 36 games, with Arsenal on 83 from 36. Arsenal can regain top spot by beating Manchester United on Sunday but City, who play their game in hand at Tottenham Hotspur on Tuesday, are now two wins away from becoming the first club to capture four consecutive Premier League titles.
“The great players enjoy playing with great pressure,” Guardiola said. “These players in the last few years have been able to do it and we are again in the latter stages.
“Our dream is, as we said a few weeks ago when they (Arsenal) lost against Aston Villa, to arrive in the last games with it in our hands, to play West Ham at home (season-finale on May 19) with the destiny belonging to us.”
Gvardiol slotted City in front in the 13th minute before Foden doubled their lead in the 59th minute.
Gvardiol slid in to touch home Bernardo Silva’s cross and then City’s travelling fans, including former Oasis frontman Noel Gallagher, were in party mode when Alvarez tucked away a stoppage-time penalty.
City stretched their unbeaten league run to 21 games, piling the pressure on Arsenal ahead of their trip to Old Trafford.
BURNLEY RELEGATED
Tottenham’s victory kept alive their hopes of qualifying for next season’s Champions League and meant 19th-placed Burnley became the second team to be relegated. They are five points from safety with one game left.
Jacob Bruun Larsen put Burnley on the scoreboard before Pedro Porro equalised just after the half-hour mark. Micky van de Ven netted the winner in the 82nd minute.
“We were dominant enough,” Spurs manager Ange Postecoglou told the BBC. “It should have been a more comfortable victory but the most important thing is we won.”
Newcastle continued their chase for a place in next season’s Europa or Conference League, sitting sixth on 57 points, three ahead of both Chelsea and Manchester United, with both clubs also having a game in hand.
Brighton defender Joel Veltman gave the visitors the lead before Sean Longstaff’s equaliser in first-half stoppage time proved enough for Newcastle to draw in their final home game.
“Tough game, we knew it would be, Brighton are always difficult opponents,” Howe said. “I don’t think we hit the heights we needed to win it but, if anyone was going to, I thought it would be us.”
A fine second-half performance saw West Ham beat struggling Luton Town to give departing manager David Moyes a result to celebrate in his final home game as Hammers boss and put Luton on the brink of relegation.
Albert Sambi Lokonga’s sixth-minute goal put the Hatters ahead, but West Ham equalised in the 54th minute thanks to James Ward-Prowse before strikes from Tomas Soucek and substitute George Earthy secured the Hammers’ win.
“It’s the perfect feeling to come on and score,” Earthy said. “I have been here since I was six, a season ticket holder my whole life and I know they are the best fans in the world.
“I can’t put it into words, it felt like I was dreaming to score. It still doesn’t seem real.”
Luton are 18th with 26 points, and their relegation could confirmed later on Saturday if 17th place Nottingham Forest pick up any points at home to Chelsea.
Brentford’s victory came thanks to a flurry of late goals. They took the lead in the 86th minute when Bryan Mbeumo shot home from the edge of the penalty area.
Dominic Solanke equalised for the hosts three minutes later, but Yoane Wissa restored the visitors’ lead to lift Brentford into 16th place. Bournemouth slipped to 11th.
Abdoulaye Doucoure scored a first-half winner in Everton’s victory which extended Sheffield United’s unwanted Premier League record.
Doucoure’s headed goal was the 101st that bottom side United have conceded this season. Everton are 15th.
Strikes from Michael Olise, Jean-Philippe Mateta and Eberechi Eze earned Crystal Palace their fifth win in six league games and saw them climb past Wolves into 12th in the table.
